Corolla Ke25 Project From Malta

[novaluke]

Hi guys I'm Luke from Malta, new member on this site so Hello to all of you ;-) Recently i have purchased a corolla ke25 coupe sl (the on in the picture)

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest i don't know a lot about them but my plan is to keep the car interior as original as possible, exterior lowered and rims and swap the engine.My play is to put a 3sgte motor gearbox and diff but up now i haven't thought about them to. Can some one send some pics of any interior of this model or some photos so i can have more ideas. Thanks.

Edited September 6, 2016 by novaluke

[altezzaclub]

That looks very sweet! Amazingly rust-free for an island!

[novaluke]

It has some visble rust near the wind screen and petrol cap i don't know if this is quite normal for this car? All the paint will be stripped out to bare metal so no worries :-)

[novaluke]

This is my neighbors car a ta22 gt. Would like some thing like this but not the standard engine :)

 

 

 

[TE278U]

Hi Luke,

 

welcome to the forums.

 

I love your car. it looks pretty damn fantastic for its age.

 

sounds like yours will soon end up looking like your neighbours after a bit of work.

 

sounds awesome what you have planned.

 

Google image should be able to come up with some pictures of the interior from various dealership brochures.

 

can't wait to see some progress on this.

 

good luck with it.

 

-Dave

[silverra23]

Welcome. Your car looks great, and so does the neighbour's Celica :)

[styler]

3sgte has been done in these beasts, check out http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/11909-ke-25-3sge-pics/page__hl__3sge+KE25

[novaluke]

Hi guys i have been removing some things from it. I looking for some interior parts like a pair of door cards. Are these a little difficult to find?

[novaluke]

A year after ready to go to blast tomorrow. Change of plans for the engine going to a standard 2tg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KJVC]

Thanks! I enjoy this.

 

My webpage; D D Photographics

[indelible]

Thanks! I enjoy this.

 

My webpage; D D Photographics

 

WTF

[novaluke]

So its time to update a little my project. There were some problems from time to time mainly that in Malta/Europe Toyota parts are hard to find especially old ones but managed to get all things in shape. Basically the care will be a levin replica as in Europe only sr models came. I have source out parts to get the car the way it is looking today. Metal work in done now starts the hard bit of lowering the car. Rust points were cut and redone again, door skins were removed and replace with new ones and bought a new front fender to replace the left side which had some dents. Rear arches were cut to make way for the flares even the front. I have orderd custom inserts specially made for me in few weeks time will be arriving and installed hopefully and back is still a mystery but would like to go really low but that will be tackled once the front is done. Engine was fitted and started. Modified the 3k subframe to suite the 2tg. Gearbox was a night mare. Originally had bought the engine and gearbox a a whole thing are i tough that was settled but when i went to put the engine on the car notice that the gear leaver as too back. Fount out that i had the wrong t50 which was for a celica ta22. Eventually i had found a t40 gearbox and swooped linkages and gear in the the housing of the t40 which had the tail further to the front. Diff has been upgraded to a carina one which is a few cm wider which is perfect for me and has a bigger diff, that we be tackled when the rear lowering will be done. Other that that here are some photos of the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how i would like the front to sit

 

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by novaluke

[altezzaclub]

That is a very serious restoration! It even looked so good when you bought it..

 

I wouldn't worry about lowering it until its finished, the suspension side of things is much simpler than what you are doing.

 

Isn't that a Mk2 Cortina sitting beside it, just waiting for its cream paint, green Lotus stripe and a BDA??

[parrot]

Great write up Luke. It is really coming along. I a little surprised by your problems with the T50. I wasn't aware that they are different between a TA22 and a TE27.

 

I'll measure up the hole in the transmission tunnel for the TE27 and KE25 tomorrow and see if there is any difference.

 

Did you actually dummy it up with the shifter in place and a seat in position? Or was it an issue with the hole in the floor?

[novaluke]

I thought it wasn't a big problem on the suspension but believe me it is. Front will be lowered like that but there needs to be some space for the tyre to work so i have to modify the front arch 99% but i have to wait for the shocks so i can start modifying the struts in to coil overs. Rear not sure but i think the way to go lowered the way i want it and to look nice is to modify the car and do a 4 link and the car will sit on coil overs at the back. I know that it could be done on blocks but i do not want the car to have a 4 inch block to be lowered. Its basically just for looks only. To give you and idea where i am at the moment i removed the shock and left the car on one spring. The car lowered to the point that the diff came touching to the body and still there needs to me more lowering so i need to make space for the diff housing under the seats. Any ways that will be handled later on. This is like what i had originally bought the t50, had the longer tail shaft housing which when i when to fit it in my car the leaver came really back wards. Then started to look on the the web and forums and there is a gearbox that has a shorter tail shaft and it was a t40 with only 4 gear. I wanted the car with 5 gear so had to opened the two boxes and swap gears and linkages which wasn't that difficult. You have to just remember what you removed first and reciprocate.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes on the side its a cortina mk2 original lotus from factory. At the moment its getting ready to be painted from the top underneath and in side is already done. Here in Malta there is a trend to spray the care the same colour as the top. Obviously the car is used only on Sundays, sunny days and maybe one or twice a month. to give you and idea...